Acts 19:12-17

19:12 so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body¹ were brought² to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.³ 19:13 But some itinerant⁴ Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name⁵ of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by⁶ evil spirits, saying, “I sternly warn⁷ you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 19:14 (Now seven sons of a man named⁸ Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.)⁹ 19:15 But the evil spirit replied to them,¹⁰ “I know about Jesus¹¹ and I am acquainted with¹² Paul, but who are you?”¹³ 19:16 Then the man who was possessed by¹⁴ the evil spirit jumped on¹⁵ them and beat them all into submission.¹⁶ He prevailed¹⁷ against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded. 19:17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus,¹⁸ both Jews and Greeks; fear came over¹⁹ them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised.²⁰

¹tn Or “skin” (the outer surface of the body).

²tn Or “were taken.” It might be that as word went out into the region that since the sick could not come to Paul, healing was brought to them this way. The “handkerchiefs” are probably face cloths for wiping perspiration (see BDAG 934 s.v. σουδάριον) while the “aprons” might be material worn by workmen (BDAG 923-24 s.v. σιμικίνθιον).

³tn The words “of them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

⁴tn Grk “some Jewish exorcists who traveled about.” The adjectival participle περιερχομένων (periercomenwn) has been translated as “itinerant.”

⁵tn Grk “to name the name.”

⁶tn Grk “who had.” Here ἔχω (ecw) is used of demon possession, a common usage according to BDAG 421 s.v. ἔχω 7.a.α.

⁷sn The expression I sternly warn you means “I charge you as under oath.”

⁸tn Grk “a certain Sceva.”

⁹sn Within the sequence of the narrative, this amounts to a parenthetical note by the author.

¹⁰tn Grk “answered and said to them.” The expression, redundant in English, has been simplified to “replied.”

¹¹tn Grk “Jesus I know about.” Here ᾿Ιησοῦν (Ihsoun) is in emphatic position in Greek, but placing the object first is not normal in contemporary English style.

¹²tn BDAG 380 s.v. ἐπίσταμαι 2 has “know, be acquainted with τινά…τὸν Παῦλον Ac 19:15.” Here the translation “be acquainted with” was used to differentiate from the previous phrase which has γινώσκω (ginwskw).

¹³sn But who are you? This account shows how the power of Paul was so distinct that parallel claims to access that power were denied. In fact, such manipulation, by those who did not know Jesus, was judged (v. 16). The indirect way in which the exorcists made the appeal shows their distance from Jesus.

¹⁴tn Grk “in whom the evil spirit was.”

¹⁵tn Grk “the man in whom the evil spirit was, jumping on them.” The participle ἐφαλόμενος (efalomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. L&N 15.239 has “ἐφαλόμενος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς ‘the man jumped on them’ Ac 19:16.”

¹⁶tn Grk “and beating them all into submission.” The participle κατακυριεύσας (katakurieusa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. According to W. Foerster, TDNT 3:1098, the word means “the exercise of dominion against someone, i.e., to one’s own advantage.” These exorcists were shown to be powerless in comparison to Jesus who was working through Paul.

¹⁷tn BDAG 484 s.v. ἰσχύω 3 has “win out, prevail…κατά τινος over, against someone Ac 19:16.”

¹⁸map For location see JP1-D2; JP2-D2; JP3-D2; JP4-D2.

¹⁹tn Grk “fell on.” BDAG 377 s.v. ἐπιπίπτω 2 has “φόβος ἐ. ἐπί τινα fear came upon someone…Ac 19:17.”

²⁰tn Or “exalted.”